ATHENS, Ohio - For the second straight week, the Ohio University Women's Basketball Team will be playing a Mid-American Conference cross-divisional foe on television. This time the venue has changed, with Western Michigan coming to Athens for a 4 p.m. tip-off in The Convocation Center.

Saturday's game will be broadcast live on SportsTime Ohio and will also be featured live online on ESPN3. Fans in Athens can catch the game on WOUB-AM 1340, with Rob Schreier (play-by-play) and Tyler Rosten (color) calling the action live from The Convo. The game will also be broadcast live via a live stream on OhioBobcats.com and fans can track stats by clicking the "Gametracker" link at the top of the page.

Saturday's game will serve as the "Bobcat Blackout" game, during which all Ohio fans are encouraged to wear black. Those who purchased tickets to the Ohio Men's Basketball game earlier in the day (11 a.m. vs. Kent State) will be granted free admission to the 4 p.m. game.

In their last game action, the Bobcats (5-17, 0-10 MAC) fought hard but ultimately fell in Ypsilanti, Mich., to the Eastern Michigan Eagles, losing by a final score of 64-57. Ohio trailed by as many as 18 points in the second half of the contest but would furiously claw back, coming within two with less than 60 seconds remaining in the game. Junior guard Erin Bailes (Huntington, W.Va.) scored a game-high 19 points, shooting a solid 7-15 from the field which included a 5-10 mark from three-point range. She and sophomore guard Mariah Byard (Mannington, W.Va.) combined to shoot a very impressive 12-22 (9-16 from distance).

A Win on Saturday Would...Be the 465th win in program history Be the 238th MAC win in program history Be Ohio's third straight win over Western Michigan Be Ohio's 28th all-time win over Western Michigan (52nd meeting)

Scouting the Broncos Western Michigan enters Saturday's game the owner of an 8-15 record which includes a 4-6 mark in Mid-American Con­ference play. The Broncos began a three-game losing streak to end January, but have since won two games in a row over Kent State (58-40) and Bowling Green (55-54).

WMU has relied upon a balanced scoring effort during the 2012-13 season, with none of its student-athletes averaging more than 8.3 points per game. This has changed in league play, as Marquisha Harris can be counted upon for 11.8 points per contest. She is also the team's leading rebounder in MAC games, pulling down 6.8 boards per contest.

The Broncos are coached by Shane Clipfell, who was named the sixth head coach in Western Michigan Women's Basketball history on April 13, 2012. Clipfell is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University and has spent the last three years serving as an associate head coach at Michigan State.

Ohio - Western Michigan Series History Saturday's game will serve as the 52nd all-time meeting between Ohio and Western Michigan. Ohio holds a 27-24 advantage in the series which has its roots in the 1973-74 season. The Bobcats have won the last two meetings between the programs, winning 72-59 in Kalamazoo, Mich. last season and beating the Broncos, 60-54, in Athens during the 2010-11 campaign.

Ohio is 14-9 in 23 all-time meetings between the programs in Athens.

Distribution is Key Ohio tied a season high with 17 assists at Eastern Michigan on Feb. 9. The Bobcats assisted on an impressive 85 percent (17-20) of their made field goals in the game.

Fowler Finds Teammates Ashley Fowler recorded the 300th assist of her career on Jan. 31 at Toledo. The senior point guard has dished out 310 assists in her career, a figure which currently ranks 8th all-time.

Bailes Boxing Out Junior Erin Bailes grabbed a career-high nine rebounds in Ohio's game at Eastern Michigan on Feb. 9. The guard has stepped up her rebounding efforts this season, pulling down 3.7 per game. This is significantly higher than her averages during her sophomore (2.2) and freshman (1.1) seasons.

Bailes on the Brink of 500Erin Bailes is currently only eight points away from scoring 500 in her career. The junior's 19-point performance at Eastern Michigan on Feb. 9 has her at 492 in her career.

Hot from the Start Ohio shot 11-24 (45.8 percent) from the field in the first half of its game at Eastern Michigan on Feb. 9. This was the highest shooting percentage Ohio has recorded in the first half of a game during the 2012-13 season.

Stepping up as a Scorer Senior guard Symone Lyles has stepped up her offen­sive play over the last few games. The native of Silver Spring, Md., has scored ten points or more in three of Ohio's last seven games, including a career-high 13 points against Northern Illinois on Feb. 6.

Double Digit Assists Ohio has moved the ball well during its last three games, recording a combined 43 assists against Kent State, Northern Illinois, and Eastern Michigan. Follow­ing five straight MAC games in which Ohio registered nine assists or less, the `Cats have dished out 11 or more in their last three contests.

Ms. Consistency Senior point guard Ashley Fowler has been the model of consistency for the Bobcats this season. The native of Cincinnati, Ohio, has started all 22 games, leads the team in minutes played (772), and has dished out a team-high 73 assists.

The Last Meeting

Ohio

72

Western Michigan

59

January 28, 2012
Kalamazoo, Mich.

Hot-Shooting Bobcats Buck Broncos, 72-59
Ohio Women's Basketball ended its trip to Michigan on a high note Saturday, beating the Western Michigan Broncos by a final score of 72-59. Ohio's terrific shooting from the field was matched by a strong defensive performance, which at one point held the Broncos without a field goal for 10:37.